Recent Research

Twenty patients participated in this study. There were twelve
men and eight women ranging in ages between 6-67 years old. They have all
complained of food allergy gastritis after eating certain foods. The main
symptoms were abdominal pain and distention, indigestion and diarrhea. A few had
nausea and vomiting and some had complained of hives after eating the allergenic
food. There were reports of asthma and joint pain. Some of the offending foods
were shellfish, cow’s milk, walnuts, lamb and pork.

According to the study, a cure was defined as a complete
disappearance of symptoms, a negative skin patch test, a lowering of IgE levels
to normal, and the ability to eat the offending foods without presenting
symptoms for up to one year. Fourteen out of twenty were considered cured. Five
patients improved and one patient did not improve. Improvement was defined as
the disappearance of symptoms, lowering of IgE levels to normal, a positive skin
patch test and some allergic symptoms after eating allergenic foods. Overall,
there was a 95% effective rate.

A study of one hundred
patients with tennis elbow was performed in order to see the effects of
combining Fu needling with electro-stim acupuncture. For three weeks, the
patients were divided into three random groups. One group received treatment
with Fu needling (n=30), another group was treated with electric acupuncture
(n=30), and the third group was treated with the combination of the above two
methods (n=40). At the end of three weeks, all three groups had good results,
but the combined therapy showed the best effect on tennis elbow. The study
concluded that Fu needling combined with electro-stim acupuncture might produce
a higher cure rate of tennis elbow than either used alone.

The purpose of the study is to compare the efficacy of
electro-acupuncture with placebo-acupuncture for the treatment of shoulder pain.
The participants are patients aged from 25 to 83 years with shoulder pain. They
were randomly given two treatments over eight weeks, with electro-acupuncture or
skin non-penetrating placebo-acupuncture, both able to take diclofenac, a NSAID,
if needed for intense pain. The main outcome measure was the difference between
groups in pain intensity (visual analogue scale-VAS). Secondary outcomes were
differences between groups in pain intensity measured by Lattinen index, in
range of motion (goniometer), functional ability (SPADI), quality of life (COOP-WONCA
charts), NSAIDS intake, credibility (Borkoveck and Nau scale) and global
satisfaction (10 points analogue scale). Assessments were performed before,
during and three and six months after treatment. At six months, the acupuncture
group showed a much greater improvement in pain intensity compared with the
placebo group. The acupuncture group had consistently better results in every
secondary outcome measure than the placebo group. Acupuncture is an effective
long-term treatment for patients with shoulder pain (from soft tissues lesions).

Acupuncture for Depression During Pregnancy

Sixty-one pregnant women with major depressive disorder were
randomly assigned to one of three treatments over an eight week period. Twenty
women received active acupuncture, twenty-one received active control
acupuncture, and twenty received massage. Acupuncture treatments were
standardized, but individually tailored, and were provided in a double-blind
fashion. The response rates at the end of the acute phase were statistically
significantly higher for the group that received active acupuncture (69%) than
for the women who received massage (32%), with an intermediate response rate
(47%). The active acupuncture group also showed a significantly higher average
rate of reduction in BDI scores from baseline to the end of the first month of
treatment than the massage group. In conclusion, acupuncture holds promise for
the treatment of depression during pregnancy.